Mike Mo Capaldi: Random-Ass Web Interview

August 25, 2008

Sometimes randomness is next to godliness. Like in the case of this Mike Mo Capaldi interview. There’s no awesome slideshow to accompany it—just a meandering, nonsensical Q&A with special guest Vince Capaldi.

Words by Carleton Curtis
Portrait by Ben Colen

Chris Ray said you said you'd never do a Transworld video.
Yeah I would, to tell you the truth actually.

Now that you've finally seen And Now?
No, that's not the reason. Is this the rumor going around Transworld?

We’re not pleased with you right now.
I can tell. VINCE CAPALDI: CHRIS RAY IS MAKING SH-T UP.

I'm telling you what he told us, "Mike Mo said he'd never do a Transworld video because they're not as good as the old Transworld videos."
Oh my God, what a dick! What a dick, dude, I did not say that.

What did you say then?
I said… dude, it's wild this came from somebody at Lakai. And, I don't land sh-t on a skateboard. I don't land anything. It would've been impossible to film another part right after Lakai. That's the reason.

Because you can't land your tricks? Not because you hate Transworld?
I've gotten seven clips since Fully Flared, and it's been almost a year. But I want to tell you, I want to do a Transworld video, but I have to do the Chocolate video and the Lakai video, and I don't land sh-t much, so I gotta save it.

I feel you. We're always at the bottom of the totem pole because we don't pay people. Sponsors always get priority.
Yeah, but. You know what? Just destroy this tape.

What's people's beef with colored wheels? How come 99% of people ride white wheels, graphics turned inside out?
Because white is so solid-looking. You don't want some zebra print on there. It looks weird. Whenever I see zebra print, I just focus on the wheels and don't look at what people actually did. It's hard to concentrate on the trick without white wheels.

Whose board graphics are you feeling these days? Besides Girl.
I like that Sk8mafia one, with the lights on it. [Laughs]

You mean the Photon Lightboards?
You've seen it. Dude, those are tight. Those are sick dude.

What do you have to say Vince? VINCE: Uhhh, I'm more of a random dude.
You got any more questions? This is fun.

Let's make this a web-exclusive.
A "me and Vince" interview.

Did you like your recent Top Five?
Yeah.

Or did you hate it because it was in Transworld?
Dude, you guys are f—ked up. Get me on the speakerphone because I want to clear this up. Get me on the P.A. system. I'm texting Chris right after I get off the phone with you. I must've been bitter at the moment, something at the time I was mad about. I would do a Transworld part, but I can't land anything. That's what it comes down to. VINCE: SOME OF THE BEST VIDEOS EVER ARE FROM TRANSWORLD.

I even called Chris Ray a week before the Transworld Awards and was like, "I wish I'd done a part for Transworld." Then he's like, "You said you didn't want to." Then I said, "I never said that." That's what I told him.

Were you faded at the time?
No. Well. No. [Laughs]

Did you go to the Transworld Awards?
Yeah I was there.

Okay, so you're down with Transworld then.
How many times do I gotta say I'm down with Transworld? So this is why you guys never put me in your magazine anymore.

Dude, that's why we're talking right now.
Oh yeah. [Laughs]

Who are you shooting photos with now? Herman?
Usually Ben Colen.

We can run his photos now because he works at Girl. VINCE: NOW SKATEBOARDER'S GAY. [Laughs]
Let's do some fact or fictions.

Alright. Do Hubba ads sell wheels?
They told me they do, but I don't believe it. [Laughs] So fiction.

You don't remember Rosa? From Shorty's? You don't remember her Vince? VINCE: I THINK THAT'S WHEN WE FIRST STARTED SKATING.

She was kind of the Hubba girl of her time.
What it whack back then too?

Kind of, but she was so hot that nobody seemed to care. VINCE: SHE HAD A PIERCED NOSE.
Oh I remember her! That's awesome.

Does perforated griptape eliminate bubbling?
Yeah it does. Fact. I haven't gotten an air bubble in so long, because all I skate is MOB. They're gone. VINCE: YOU JUST STEP ON IT BECAUSE THERE'S A HOLE THERE ALREADY. YOU'RE TRIPPIN'.
No you're trippin'.

This isn't really a fact or fiction question. But I've always wondered this: Why don't more people wear high-tops? VINCE: BECAUSE THEY GET ALL SWEATY AND SH-T.
[Laughs] Because they get sweaty. Um, I don't like how they look.

But they're underneath your pants most of the time.
I just think they feel more boxy or something. There's more on your feet. Less ankle feel too, or something. Ok, I've got one for you: Bam is way gnarlier than Ryan Sheckler: Fact or fiction? VINCE: OH F—K.

Bam is the king of the drop-in. He's pretty gnarly. You don't really see him much anymore though.
I think Bam is pretty tight.

I love watching him skate. I guess if you stripped away all the horsesh-t surrounding Sheckler, you could say he's gnarlier. That kickflip on The Skateboard Mag's cover was insane. But I've always seen Bam as "the dude who will drop into anything," so I guess I'd say Bam. VINCE: GOOD CHOICE.
Yeah I like Bam. Bam's the man. Here's another one. Is the iPhone 1 better or the iPhone 2?

Goddammit. See, I have the iPhone 1 and it's slow as f—k when you're not on WiFi. So I gotta say iPhone 2.
Good choice. I got that right here. That's what we're talking on.

At least I got the free software upgrade.
Dude, you gotta get the new one. EDGE is horrible. You don't have to wait in any lines now either.

Alright forget skateboarding. Let's talk about iPhones. What are the last three apps you've added to your iPhone?
I'll tell you right now. A speedometer. They have a speedometer now. It works off the GPS and tells you how fast you're going. I did it when I was on an airplane taking off, but it didn't work. It only got to 30 miles an hour. [Laughs] I installed the Batman app too. Have you seen that?

Is that the Dark Knightone?
Yup. It turns everybody's face into the joke after you take a photo. And the last one I got is iBeer. And PhoneSaber. VINCE: THAT SH-T'S GAY.

Listen to your brother man. That sh-t really is gay. The saber doesn't even move, it just makes "cheeow, cheeeow, cheeeow" sounds. VINCE: I TOLD HIM IT WAS GAY BUT HE DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME.
Okay, sorry.

The new free-version of Tetris is sick too.
There's a free Tetris? I'm totally getting it. I like Transworld. I could've been drunk. I turn into "Tommy" when I'm drunk. I have an alter ego when I'm drunk.

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What's a day in the life of Tommy like?
First of all, it all started when I turned into Kid Rock one night.

I think that dude was on skateboarding.com. Some people didn't approve.
Remember on Crailtap, it said, "Mo, next time you think of doing sh-t like that, call us next time." Why was it a big deal?

I don't know. I thought it was pretty funny. It's all about image control and you lost control of your image.
That was a different person. That wasn't me. That dude was a genius, whoever it was.

One last question. Have you been hearing the word "mark" being used lately?
Yeah.

What's the deal with that? That's some dated Boyz N The Hood slang.
What, like you're a "mark ass"? Sh-t like that? I feel like people who say that are… you know Steve at Active? He would say that. One of those types of people. Dudes who try to be thugs but wear tight pants and emo hats. This was a fun conversation. [END]